Housing Specialist

About the Role

The Housing Specialist is responsible for locating housing units, working closely with landlords, collaborating with service providers, and providing general housing support to ensure that homeless individuals and/or families can secure and maintain housing.

The People and Culture

You will be surrounded by talented, supportive, smart, and kind leaders and teams—people you can be proud to work with. Abode Services regularly recognizes employees’ efforts, seeks employees’ input, and cares for employees as people with lives outside of work. We believe that diversity strengthens decision-making and service quality, with people of color making up nearly 70% of our workforce. We strive to recruit and retain employees from all backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Provide housing placement and assistance for participants, focusing on the household’s needs and goals.
• Conduct housing searches and place appropriate units for potential participants.
• Network with landlords, renter’s associations, property management businesses, and county-wide permanent housing providers.
• Assist with lease approvals and execute Housing Assistance Payment contracts with landlords.
• Prepare and ensure accurate distribution of subsidy payments to landlords.
• Provide move-in support, including arranging Housing Quality Inspections (HQIs), negotiating lease start dates, reviewing lease terms, coordinating furniture moves, and preparing move-in documentation.
• Upload housing documentation to the Welcome Mat housing database.
• Provide notices of contract renewals and rental adjustments.
• Participate in service team meetings, assist in evaluating participants’ housing readiness, and reduce housing barriers.
• Maintain contact with participants, monitor progress, and refer to team members as necessary after housing is secured.
• Provide expertise to landlords or service staff for conflict resolution and problem-solving.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory agreements, contracts, and fair housing laws.
• Attend staff meetings and other agency functions as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent (GED) required.
• 1 year of experience working in the housing field, social services, or sales/customer service, with knowledge of local housing markets and geography.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.
• Use of personal vehicle, valid California Driver’s License, current auto insurance, and a clean DMV record required.
• Flexible schedule to work evening and weekend hours when required.

Benefits

• $28.85 - $31.74 per hour
• 100% paid health, vision, and dental options
• 19 PTO days & 12 holidays per year
• Voluntary benefits: FSA, EAP, Commuter Checks, Life Insurance, Legal, and more
• 3% retirement match/contribution
• Professional development trainings, leadership academy programs, and all-staff events

Dynamic, mission-driven culture with supportive leadership.